Store Credit Card? First Credit Card...?

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Store Credit Card? First Credit Card...?

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Answer #1 | 19/12 2013 17:47

A store credit card should not be your first credit card. The way to build credit is to continuously be utilizing it and paying it back so you get regular positive reporting, which cannot happen with a store card just due to sheer lack of opportunity.
If you have income to get qualified, I would just look to get a major VISA card and use that to buy your gas and groceries every month, and then pay it back in full. Your apprehensions about major credit cards are normal for someone your age, but they are also misguided as this simple approach is the basis for how people build credit. If you got just a $300 limit and made a few purchases and paid in full every month, you would pay no interest and your credit really would start to increase; it really can be that simple. The ones that get in trouble lack responsibility and see this as a license to spend recklessly, which you cleally understand is not the case.
if you can't get approved conventionally, try to get added as an authorized user on one of your parents' cards. Also, don't be afraid to get turned down. It is true that a turned down credit request is a negative report, but you at some point have to get into the game and a few years of positive reporting will more than make up for a few turn downs in the beginning.
Hope that helps alleviate your concerns

Answer #2 | 19/12 2013 20:10

Stop. If you have never had any credit card, then you cannot get any store credit card. You won't build any credit, and you won't get any card. You will be denied, and applying will lower your credit score. If you aren't willing to have any credit cards except store cards, then you can't have any credit cards, because your first card ever can't be a store card.